Electronically-controlled pressure regulator system for poultry drinker lines

ABSTRACT

An electrically-controlled water pressure regulator for use with a poultry watering system receives potable water at a first high pressure level and reduces the water pressure level of the water provided to watering valves that dispense water to the flock within a poultry house. A variable control valve uses a needle-shaped cone to engage a round port inside the housing of the regulator. A stepper motor controls the liner movement of the control valve in incremental microsteps to adjust the water pressure level provided to the flock. A feedback component enables the variable control valve to maintain the water pressure level at a desired set point for the flock. The desired set point for the flock is controlled or automated to match the growth of the flock over their growth cycle. An electrical controller and suitable cabling enable multiple regulators to be controlled efficiently and cost-effectively.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S.provisional patent application No. 61/882,979, entitled “ElectronicPressure Regulator System for Poultry Drinker Lines,” filed Sep. 26,2013, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to poultry watering systems and,more particularly, to an improved, electronically-controlled waterpressure regulator, related controllers, processes, ancillarycomponents, and equipment used to monitor and regulate the flow of waterin a poultry drinker system and to strategically adjust the same in anautomated fashion during the growth stages of the flock.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Poultry watering systems include a series of connected water dispensinglines, a plurality of interconnected valves connected to one or more lowpressure water supply lines, fed by one or more potable water sources.The potable water supply is typically provided to a poultry house orbroiler house (“facility”) at a pressure much greater than the intendedor necessary operating pressure of the watering valves and at a muchgreater pressure than is desired at each drinker nipple accessible tothe poultry. This demands that a water pressure regulator be provided aspart of the watering system to ensure that the watering valves aresupplied with water at a pressure within the operating parameters of thevalves and at a desired pressure at the drinker nipples used by theflock to obtain water. Furthermore, it is often required that theoperating pressure for the watering valves be varied throughout thegrowth period of the poultry flock to allow for the greatest efficiencyof use of water by the flock. In other words, the flock needs more wateras the chicks continue to grow, but it is undesirable to provide toomuch water to the chicks at any point during their growth cycle becauseit not only wastes water but can cause excess water to be releasedduring drinking, which, in turn, can create a mess on the floor of thepoultry house.

Conventionally, controlling the amount of water and water pressure to apoultry watering system is handled manually by an operator in thefacility. However, manual operation and adjustment of the water pressureregulators used to control the water supply to the poultry drinker linesis not efficient and can lead to over or under watering of the flock atany given time. Hydraulic air pressure control systems have beendeveloped, but these systems tend to be expensive and difficult toinstall. For these and many other reasons, there is a need in theindustry to be able to vary the operating pressure of the water sourcefeeding the watering valves remotely, efficiently, and inexpensively. Itis also desirable to be able to retrofit existing watering systems withminimal effort and at low cost.

It would be advantageous to be able to control the water pressuresupplied to poultry drinker systems automatically through use of anelectrically-controlled variable position water control valve or byelectrically-controlling diaphragm pressure within a regulator valvewithout the need for installing air pressure hydraulic lines orcomponents and to eliminate the need for a facility operator to have tomanually adjust the water pressure at each regulator in the facility.Preferably, it would be desirable for such pressure adjusting systems tobe controlled either (i) with feedback from an electrical water pressurefeedback device—in the form of a closed-loop system, or (ii) without afeedback device—in the form of an open-loop system. Preferably, eitherof these control configurations would be commanded through the use ofone or more manual user interfaces and/or through an electronicinterface designed to adapt to standard voltage or current analogcontrol loops.

It would also be advantageous to have an electronic assembly that isdesigned to be interconnected with other assemblies within a specifiedrange, such as within a 500 meter range, to simplify the control andpower installation requirements. It would also be advantageous to havean electronic assembly that can provide a unified control of a pluralityof (up to 100 or more) devices. Preferably, it would also be desirableif installation of any necessary electrical wiring can be handled by anyconventional electrician using readily-available pre-wired cabling, aslong as such cabling is designed specifically to withstand the harshenvironment of a broiler house.

There is a further need for a controllable pressure regulator capable ofmeasuring actual water pressure against a desired control pressure setpoint and making adjustments to the incoming flow to correct thedifference, as needed and on an on-going or regular basis. Preferably,both the actual water pressure and the desired set point would becontinuously-monitored. There is yet a further need for aproportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm configured toadjust the controllable valve to meter the flow of water in the drinkerline/system. There is also a need for an embeddedmicroprocessor/controller to adjust the position of the control valveproportionally to maintain the actual pressure in the line as closely aspossible to the desired set point in response to changes to either thepressure set point or actual pressure measurements.

Although a “facility” has been described above and will generally beused interchangeably hereinafter to refer to a poultry house or broilerhouse, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that anyfacility that waters animals being grown or raised, particularly forconsumption, and that requires water pressure regulators to control orlimit the water pressure of the water supplied directly to the animalsas compared to the water pressure coming into the facility can makeeffective use of the systems, techniques, technologies, devices, andprocesses described herein. Such facilities include, but are not limitedto, poultry breeder houses, turkey broiler or breeding houses, andpoultry pullet or egg laying houses.

The present invention meets one or more of the above-referenced needs asdescribed herein below in greater detail.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to poultry drinker systems and,more particularly, to systems, processes, and devices used for animproved, electronic water pressure regulator, related controllers, andequipment used to control the water flow in a poultry watering system.

In a first aspect of the present invention, a water pressure regulatoris used with a poultry watering system to provide potable water to aflock of poultry over their growth cycle, wherein the poultry wateringsystem is preferably mounted within a poultry house and configured forinstallation at a specified elevation above the flooring of the poultryhouse, the water pressure regulator comprising: a main housing having aplurality of ports and apertures, the main housing defining an interiorchamber; an input associated with one of the plurality of ports andconnected to a water supply line, the water supply line providingpotable water to the water pressure regulator at a first pressure level,an output associated with another one of the plurality of ports andconnected to a dispensing line, the dispensing line having a pluralityof watering valves configured to supply the potable water to the flockof poultry at a second pressure level, the second pressure level beinglower than the first pressure level and optimized to provide a desiredamount of potable water to the flock through the plurality of wateringvalves, a variable control valve mounted onto the housing, the variablecontrol valve positioned to control the flow of potable water out of theinterior chamber of the main housing and through the output, thevariable control valve having a needle-shaped cone adapted to engage around port inside the housing and configured to move linearly andincrementally between a fully-closed position and a fully-open position,the variable control valve having a linear stepper motor that controlsthe linear and incremental movement of the needle-shaped cone to varythe second pressure level of the potable water, the linear stepper motoris in electronic communication with and controlled by a controllerboard, the controller board being programmed with a desired pressurelevel for the second pressure, and a pressure feedback component alsomounted onto the housing detects the actual water pressure level in thedispensing line, wherein a feedback signal corresponding to the actualwater pressure level is communicated electronically back to thecontroller board of the variable control valve, wherein a comparatorcomponent of the controller board compares the actual water pressurelevel in the dispensing line with the desired pressure level for thesecond pressure and, based on such comparison, actuates the linearstepper motor to linearly and incrementally move the needle-shaped coneas necessary to cause the actual water pressure to match the desiredpressure level for the second pressure.

The aspects of the invention also encompasses a computer-readable mediumhaving computer-executable instructions for performing methods of thepresent invention, and computer networks and other systems thatimplement the methods of the present invention.

The above features as well as additional features and aspects of thepresent invention are disclosed herein and will become apparent from thefollowing description of preferred embodiments of the present invention.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of aspects andconcepts in a simplified form that are further described below in thedetailed description. This summary is not intended to identify keyfeatures or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is itintended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofillustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunctionwith the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating theembodiments, there is shown in the drawings example constructions of theembodiments; however, the embodiments are not limited to the specificmethods and instrumentalities disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofillustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunctionwith the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating theembodiments, there is shown in the drawings example constructions of theembodiments; however, the embodiments are not limited to the specificmethods and instrumentalities disclosed. In addition, further featuresand benefits of the present technology will be apparent from a detaileddescription of preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction withthe following drawings, wherein similar elements are referred to withsimilar reference numbers, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional watering system for a broiler houseprior to installation of the improvements described herein;

FIG. 2 presents an exemplary graphical representation of the desiredwater pressure provided to a flock through its growth cycle;

FIG. 3 illustrates a watering system for a broiler house afterinstallation of the improvements described herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates a zoomed in view of a portion of the broiler houseshown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a further zoomed in view of one of a plurality ofelectrically-controlled water pressure regulars as installed in thebroiler house of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic of a feedback loop used to adjust thewater pressure provided by one of the electrically-controlled waterpressure regulators of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates both a fully-assembled and an exploded view of one ofthe electrically-controlled water pressure regulators of FIG. 5, whichhas been retrofit onto a conventional, manually-operated water pressureregulator;

FIG. 8 illustrates a preferred wiring diagram for connecting andcontrolling components of the broiler house of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 illustrates both a fully-assembled and an exploded view of avariable position control valve, which is one of the components of theelectrically-controlled water pressure regulator of FIG. 7;

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate both fully-assembled and exploded views oftwo sections of a diaphragm pressure control valve, which is one of thecomponents of the electrically-controlled water pressure regulator ofFIG. 7; and

FIG. 12 illustrates both a fully-assembled and an exploded view of asight tube assembly, which is one of the components of theelectrically-controlled water pressure regulator of FIG. 7 and is usedto provide feedback of the actual water pressure output by the waterpressure regulator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present technologies, systems, devices, apparatuses, andmethods are disclosed and described in greater detail hereinafter, it isto be understood that the present technologies, systems, devices,apparatuses, and methods are not limited to particular arrangements,specific components, or particular implementations. It is also to beunderstood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescribing particular aspects and embodiments only and is not intendedto be limiting.

As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms“a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. Similarly, “optional” or “optionally” means that thesubsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, andthe description includes instances where the event or circumstanceoccurs and instances where it does not.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word“comprise” and variations of the word, such as “comprising” and“comprises,” mean “including but not limited to,” and is not intended toexclude, for example, other components, integers or steps. “Exemplary”means “an example of” and is not intended to convey an indication ofpreferred or ideal embodiment. “Such as” is not used in a restrictivesense, but for explanatory purposes.

Disclosed are components that can be used to perform the disclosedmethods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein,and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions,groups, etc. of these components are disclosed that while specificreference to each various individual and collective combinations andpermutations of these can not the explicitly disclosed, each isspecifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods andsystems. This applies to all aspects of this specification including,but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are avariety of additional steps that can be performed it is understood thateach of the additional steps can be performed with any specificembodiment or combination of embodiments of the disclosed methods.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the methods andsystems may take the form of an entirely new hardware embodiment, anentirely new software embodiment, or an embodiment combining newsoftware and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the methods and systems maytake the form of a computer program product on a computer-readablestorage medium having computer-readable program instructions (e.g.,computer software) embodied in the storage medium. More particularly,the present methods and systems may take the form of web-implementedcomputer software. Any suitable computer-readable storage medium may beutilized including hard disks, non-volatile flash memory, CD-ROMs,optical storage devices, and/or magnetic storage devices.

Embodiments of the methods and systems are described below withreference to block diagrams and flowchart illustrations of methods,systems, apparatuses and computer program products. It will beunderstood that each block of the block diagrams and flow illustrations,respectively, can be implemented by computer program instructions. Thesecomputer program instructions may be loaded onto a general purposecomputer, special purpose computer, or other programmable dataprocessing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructionswhich execute on the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus create a means for implementing the functions specified in theflowchart block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in acomputer-readable memory that can direct a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablememory produce an article of manufacture including computer-readableinstructions for implementing the function specified in the flowchartblock or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loadedonto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or otherprogrammable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process suchthat the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmableapparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in theflowchart block or blocks.

Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flowchart illustrationssupport combinations of means for performing the specified functions,combinations of steps for performing the specified functions, andprogram instruction means for performing the specified functions. Itwill also be understood that each block of the block diagrams andflowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the blockdiagrams and flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by specialpurpose hardware-based computer systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware andcomputer instructions.

Poultry Watering System

Turning now to FIG. 1, a conventional poultry watering system 100typically include a series of connected water dispensing lines 110 and aplurality of interconnected valves 125 connected to one or more lowpressure water supply lines 115, which are fed by one or more potablewater sources 120. The source of the potable water supply is typicallyprovided to a poultry house 150 at a pressure much greater than thenecessary or desired operating pressure of the watering valves 125. Thisrequires use of a regulator 130, as part of the watering system 100, toensure that the watering valves 125 are supplied with water at apressure within the operating parameters of the valves.

Furthermore, it is often necessary and desirable for the operatingpressure provided to the watering valves be gradually increased duringthe growth period of the poultry flock to allow for the greatestefficiency of the use of the water by the flock (i.e., the flock needsmore water as the chicks continue to grow but it is undesirable toprovide too much water to the chicks at any point during the growingcycle because it wastes water and can create a mess on the floor of thepoultry house). FIG. 2 presents an exemplary graphical representation200 of the water pressure, which is measured in inches of water columnvs. the age of the birds in the flock. These requirements (specificwater pressure vs. age of the flock) will actually vary by facility,installation, and the specific goals and needs of the operator of thefacility and will not be discussed in detail herein, other than toacknowledge the general necessity for poultry houses to manage waterflow and pressure (typically, by gradually increasing the same)throughout the growth period of the flock. It will be appreciated bythose of skill in the art that adjusting the water pressure during thelife cycle of a flock is necessary whether one operates a conventionalwatering system 100, as shown in FIG. 1, or whether one operates animproved watering system that is initially built having or retrofit withelectrically-controlled pressure regulators and a corresponding controlsystem, according to the teachings herein and as will be described ingreater detail hereinafter.

Turning now to FIG. 3, an improved poultry watering system 300 isillustrated, which is essentially the conventional poultry wateringsystem 100 as shown in FIG. 1, but after having been retrofit withelectrically-controlled water pressure regulators 330 and an associatedcontrol system 375. Like the poultry watering system 100 of FIG. 1, theimproved poultry watering system 300 include a series of connected waterdispensing lines 110 and a plurality of interconnected valves 125connected to one or more low pressure water supply lines 115, which arefed by one or more potable water sources 120. Preferably, the controlsystem 375 is in electronic communication with theelectrically-controlled water pressure regulators 330. In addition,power is preferably supplied to each of the electrically-controlledwater pressure regulators 330. As shown in FIG. 3, control wiring andpower supply lines, shown running through conduit or cabling 380, runfrom a control room 390 of the poultry house 150 to each of theelectrically-controlled water pressure regulators 330. The conduit orcabling 380 protects the control wiring and power supply lines fromexposure to water, dust, and other contaminants and allows the wiring tobe used in the harsh environment of a typical poultry house. Forconvenience, such conduit or cabling 380 can be run, and connected inconventional manner with any of a variety of connectors, along the topof the low pressure water supply lines 115 to keep the control wiringand power supply lines off the floor of the poultry house 150 andotherwise out of the way of the flock, operators, and contaminants.Alternatively, such conduit 380 can be hung or strung from the ceilingof the poultry house 150, but this is less efficient and requires muchmore wiring than using the existing support structure provided by thelow pressure water supply lines 115.

FIG. 4 is merely a zoomed in view 400 of the control room 390 area ofFIG. 3. FIG. 4 also provides a zoomed in view of theelectrically-controlled water pressure regulators 330 and the associatedcontrol system 375.

FIG. 5 is a zoomed in view 500 of one of the electrically-controlledwater pressure regulators 330 mounted as part of the improved poultrywatering system 300 from FIG. 3. In this zoomed in view, it is easier tosee the water dispensing lines 110 and interconnected valves 125. It isalso easier to see the support rod 112 upon which the water dispensingline 110 is preferable hung or attached. Further details and an explodedview of the specific components of the electrically-controlled waterpressure regulator 330 will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

As stated previously, since it is often necessary to vary the pressureof the water supplied to the watering valves 125, it is desirable to beable to adjust or control such pressure remotely and/or automatically.Methods of doing so, through the use of an electrically controlledvariable position valve or by electrically controlling diaphragmpressure, will described and disclosed in greater detail hereinafter.Preferably, these pressure adjusting systems can be controlled in twodifferent ways: with feedback from an electrical water pressure feedbackdevice (a closed-loop system) or without a feedback device (an open-loopsystem). Either of these configurations can be commanded or controlledby a system user through the use of one or more manual user interfacesand/or through an electronic interface designed to adapt to standardvoltage or current analog control loops. The electronic assembly isdesigned to be interconnected with other assemblies, preferably within a500 meter range, to simplify the control and power systems installationand to offer a unified control of up to, for example, 100 separateregulators 330. Preferably, it is also desirable that installation ofany necessary electrical wiring be capable of being done by anyconventional electrician using readily-available prewired conduit orcabling 380 that is designed specifically for the harsh environment of apoultry house or poultry raising facility.

The remotely-controlled electrical pressure regulator 330 provides aconvenient means of adjusting water pressure within each drinker line110. Adjusting the pressure can be accomplished manually, through use ofa simple manual user interface, in conventional manner or automatically,through use of an analog control loop signal from an existing houseautomation controller to a house automation interface panel in thecontrol room 390. The pressure settings of multiple regulators on asingle network can be changed simultaneously, or in virtual groups, toprovide a quick and convenient way of changing the water pressure withinone or more drinker lines within a poultry house. Additionalfunctionality of the system enables the water pressure of a singleregulator or group of regulators to be controlled, based on a desired orpredetermined schedule, which can be set by the user or operator of thepoultry house. If an automated scheduler is used, the controllerautomatically adjusts the water pressure of regulators based on a timetable or time line that is set by the scheduler. Likewise, the houseautomation controller can be wired to one of the analog control loopinputs of the house automation interface panel to automate the controlof the water pressure of the watering valve drinker lines. Additionally,if using the closed-loop system, the pressure feedback device of theassembly can report actual water line pressure back to the manual userinterface and/or to the house automation interface panel to provide ameans of monitoring actual water pressure levels in the watering valvedrinker lines so that adjustments can be made, if necessary, to modifythe pressure to the desired set point.

It is also possible manually to override the position of the variablecontrol valve of individual assemblies to force a full port open flushof the watering valve drinker line. This flushing mode can be initiatedat the simple user interface and/or at the house automation controllerinterface. Preferably, all of these features and functions can beperformed without entering the poultry house or otherwise disturbing theflock.

The ease of use, retrofit assembly and installation, adaptability to anautomation controller, scheduled water pressure adjustment, simultaneousadjustment of multiple regulators, individual drinker line flushcapability, real time monitoring of actual water pressure, and abilityto initiate these control features without entering the poultry houseand disturbing the flock, are just some of the many benefits of thissystem.

Electronic Regulator for Use with Poultry Watering System

Preferably, each electrically-controlled or electronically-controlledwater pressure regulator 330, as disclosed and described herein,measures actual water pressure in the drinker line against a desiredcontrol pressure set point and makes adjustments to the incoming flow tocorrect the difference, as needed. FIG. 6 illustrates a simple feedbackloop 600 for adjusting and controlling the actual water pressure againsta desired water pressure set point. Specifically, incoming water supplycomes in on low pressure water supply line 115 to a metering valve 610that is part of the regulator 330. The output from the metering valve610 is the drinker line water supply that is provided to the drinkerline 110. A pressure feedback device 620 detects the actual pressure ofthe drinker line water supply and outputs an electronic signal 630corresponding to such actual pressure. The desired water pressure setpoint 640, along with the electronic signal 630 corresponding to theactual pressure, is provided to a comparator circuit 650 that determinesthe difference 660 between the actual pressure 630 and the desiredpressure 640 and provides such difference 660 as an error value back tothe metering valve 610. Preferably, both the actual water pressure andthe desired set point are continuously monitored. Preferably, aproportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm adjusts thecontrollable pressure regulator valve to meter the flow of water in eachdrinker line. If changes to either the pressure set point or the actualpressure measurements are detected, an embedded microprocessor adjuststhe position of the control valve proportionally to maintain the actualpressure in the drinker line as closely to the set point as possible.

The variable control valve with pressure feedback assembly has beendesigned so that it is possible to retrofit current “manual” versions ofthe pressure regulators without permanently modifying the housing ofsuch pressure regulators and while still enabling such pressureregulators to be adjusted or over-ridden manually, if desired. Theentire assembly is designed to be installed with a minimal use of toolsand without the requirement of any specific knowledge about theoperation of the pressure regulator—as either a manual control regulatoror as an electrically-controlled regulator. Being a simple retrofitassembly, the design allows for additional cost savings for poultryhouse operators and/or owners since such regulator can be installed inthe field without need of any special tools or equipment. Through use ofsimple to follow guidelines, the entire variable control valve withpressure feedback assembly can typically be retrofit onto an existing,manually-controlled pressure regulator in a matter of minutes.

FIG. 7 illustrates a retrofit assembly for a regulator 330 of FIG. 3.The regulator 330 is shown in assembled view 700 and in an exploded view702. The core components of a conventional, manually-controlled waterpressure regulator assembly 710 is are shown. The housing 774 of thewater pressure regulator assembly 710 defines an interior chambertherein. Further, the housing 774 includes an input 772, which connectswith the water control supply line 115 described in FIGS. 3-5. Themetering valve 610 described in FIG. 6 is contained within the interiorchamber of the housing 774 and controls the flow and pressure of thewater from the water control supply line 115 into the interior chamber,in response to the electrically-controlled valve 730, as described ingreater detail hereinafter. The electrically-controlled valve 730 mountsinto the flush valve assembly port 732 of the regulator assembly 710. Asight tube assembly 750 connects to the regulator assembly 710 anddetects the actual water pressure being supplied to the drinker line. Apressure feedback device 752 built into the sight tube assembly 750 isconnected to a feedback input 740 on the electrically-controlled valve730 using an electronic regulator connector or cordset 760, whichprovides the actual pressure of the drinker line to a built-incomparator circuit in the electrically-controlled valve 730. The housing774 includes an output 776 to which the dispensing line 110 described inFIGS. 3-5 is connected.

This “ease of installation” concept is further carried over into theelectrical installation as well. Each variable control valve withpressure feedback assembly is provided with electrical“quick-disconnect” receptacles to aid in the ease and simplicity ofwiring the devices. All of the necessary power and communications arepreferably carried over a single cable and distributed with use ofreadily-available supplied, or alternatively, third party availablepre-manufactured cabling systems. Each pre-manufactured cable assemblyis mated to a corresponding connector at each variable control valvewith pressure feedback assembly, so wiring mistakes are made nearlyimpossible with a minimum of instructions. The variable control valvewith pressure feedback assembly and the pre-manufactured cabling isdesigned specifically for damp, harsh environments. All electricalconnections preferably form an air-tight seal that is capable ofwithstanding accidental submersion in water and other fluids to ensure areliable and long-lasting installation.

The simple manual user interface and the optional house automationinterface panels are interconnected to the variable control valve withpressure feedback assemblies through this same network ofpre-manufactured cabling. Low voltage power is introduced to the systemthrough the simple manual user interface, which requires a connection toa common NEMA 5-15 (or compatible) electrical receptacle. For networkswith large numbers of assemblies and/or long network cabling lengths,optional power injectors are available to extend the low voltageelectrical supply to these numerous and/or distant assemblies.

The simple manual user interface and the house automation interfacepanel are designed for installation in an environmentally-isolatedmechanical shed outside of the poultry house or, optionally, availablewith a sealed control enclosure suitable for mounting in the poultryhouse environment. FIG. 8 illustrates a wiring diagram 800 for apreferred and typical system installation, as described above.

Embedded Controller System

It was determined that the system preferably needed a microprocessorthat (i) was capable of precision position control of a valve mechanism,(ii) could receive and process pressure measurements obtained from anexternal sensor, (iii) could accept user input for set point control,and (iv) could maintain control of pressure based on user set point andactual system pressure using a control algorithm. The microprocessor wasdesigned concurrently with the development of the control valve and thefeedback device and was used to test prototype designs as they weredeveloped. This required that either a powerful and capable processor,having a large variety of I/O capabilities, memory, and integratedfeatures, or a processor that offered a simple upgrade path when thedemands exceeded the capacity of the processor be selected at thebeginning of the development process. For these reasons, one of the manyavailable ARM core-based microprocessors was chosen. The ARM core ofprocessors is a widely popular architecture for both hobbyists andprofessionals, so the tools and the support were abundant. The offeringsvary from small and compact with low memory, to powerful processors thatpower many of today's sophisticated electronics, such as cell phones andhome appliances. The design was initially based on selection of apowerful microprocessor, but having a “family” of faster and morecapable processors available, if necessary, to ensure an upgrade pathwith as little software conversion as possible. Initially, it wasdetermined that most of the inputs (signals/data) to the processor(e.g., actual pressure; pressure set point; actuator position; levelfeedback display, etc.) would be of an analog nature; therefore, aprocessor with an emphasis on high resolution and large quantity ofanalog inputs was chosen. An ARM core processor of NXP branding thatprovided numerous analog inputs and a number of discrete I/O with areasonable amount of memory and a capable processing speed was finallychosen for this purpose.

Throughout the trials with the valve and the feedback sensor, it becamenecessary mid-stream during the design phase to change to a processorwith fewer analog inputs but with a greater memory capacity. Stayingwithin the same processor family allowed the software and programmingthat had already been created to migrate easily to the new processor.For initial design and testing, the inventors were able to rely upon“off the shelf” processor development circuit boards. After design ofthe feedback device and the valve actuator was finalized, it was againdetermined that the processor needed to be upgraded to one that wasfaster, had more memory, and one having with an integrated CAN bus thatenabled a control scheme using digital communications. This transitionto an improved processor presented additional design challenges, sinceseveral of the peripheral functions were now integrated into the chip.The PWM and the 4 Wire SPI all behaved slightly differently than inprevious designs. Along with the change over in processors, several newalgorithms were also developed to fine tune the previous test routinesthat had been written to prove the initial design concepts. It alsoproved necessary at this time to create a custom processor board.

A development board with an integrated CAN bus was used for initialproof of concept, but the family stepping on the chip of the prototypedevelopment board was an older stepping. NXP had released newer versionsof the chip to correct several severe flaws with the older stepping, soefforts were focused on designing a new, custom-designed control boardusing the newer version of the NXP processor. Algorithms specificallywritten for the newer chip, in particular with the analog inputfunctions, the CAN bus peripherals, and the 4 Wire SPI interface,functioned on the new hardware based on the improved steppingfunctionality of the newer NXP processor.

Determining an input voltage range was another consideration. Because ofthe commonality of 24 VDC in Europe, it was felt that European end-userswould prefer 24 VDC while end-users in North America would prefer 12VDC. A supply of 12 VDC matched with the inventors' concept for abattery backup system (e.g., using a small lead-acid “alarm” backupbattery or a simple deep-cycle battery with a common battery charger)that would allow the regulators to remain powered through brown-outs andshort black-outs. With these considerations in mind, the control boardwas designed to operate on an input voltage range of approximately 8 VDCto 25 VDC. Since the incoming voltage is preferably routed directly tothe driver board, the stepper motor was selected to operate specificallyon the supply voltage; however, it was decided that all otherperipherals and components of the system would receive their necessaryvoltage by converting the incoming voltage typically provided in thecountry in which the system is installed. Thus, the board was now readyfor both North American and European installations.

Other features designed into the board for “future” growth include (a)an I2C peripheral interface for future expansion and use of additionaldata that can be obtained from the water line (e.g., water flow rate,water flow totalization, water temp, etc.), (b) a second CAN businterface for communications on a secondary network (e.g., with theregulator acting as a master device and having slaved peripherals), and(c) a 4 Wire SPI output, which is the outgoing communications port forthe feedback device. This 4 Wire SPI output is designed to be usedindependently of the feedback device, so its serial-to-parallel outputcapability can be used to drive a large number of digital outputsthrough specifically designed hardware, as desired. There is also aserial port which has been exclusively used for diagnostics datareporting, as well as a J-TAG interface for programming and monitoringof the chip through its integrated programming port. All of theseperipherals, voltage converters, and interface chips are preferablydesigned onto a single, two-layer board with all components populated onthe top side using surface mount devices to create the most costeffective design.

Variable Position Control Valve

The electrically-controlled valve 730, as shown in FIG. 7, is animportant component of the overall system design and proved to be asignificant design challenge. To guarantee a controllable flow, it wasnecessary to develop a valve assembly that would allow a very smallmechanical motion to control a relatively large port, which would thenallow for the flow rates that were required, but with the responsivenessneeded to create an acceptable regulator. Slow responses would result inlarge spikes and deep sags as the demand for water fluctuated. Themechanical motion had to be both small so that the valve could respondquickly, but also needed a mechanical force advantage so the valve couldbe powered with as small an actuator as possible. Since these twocriteria interact to oppose one another, a compromise in responsivenessand actuator force had to be determined. Early designs tested, forexample, common ball valves, common gate valves, pinch valves—eachresulted in a significant seal friction, which made them impractical tocontrol with the low energy and quick reaction speed required for thissystem. These designs were eliminated from the choices early in theprototyping stage.

Linear motion valve control seemed the best choice to overcome sealfriction, so several prototype design ideas were reviewed, includingsliding plates, sliding gate, sliding ported cylinders, and simplelinear strokes to actuate pivoting type valves. At the top of the listwas a linear needle valve with a tapered seat. The concept wasprototyped and proved to offer very linear control of the water flow,and it offered low friction in the seats and seals, but the designresulted in a need for a large force to overcome the incoming linepressure of the water supply. The prototype design used a relativelylarge rod for the needle, so it was finally determined that to overcomethe forces due to incoming line pressure, the rod had to be reduced to asize smaller in diameter than that of the outlet port. This changepermitted the pressure chamber to become theoretically pressure“neutral” once flow started. This rod is also designed with aself-aligning coupling to further decrease the strain on the steppermotor and, in one embodiment, uses a multi-seal design for redundancy incase of a seal failure.

The current variable control valve 730 shown in FIG. 7 and described ingreater detail herein was born from this prototype. FIG. 9 illustratesthe variable control valve 730 in assembled view 900 and in an explodedview 902. The “needle” shape of the actuating part 910 of the valve isaccomplished using a simple cone shaped nut. This nut retains a rubberseat or seal 912 to guarantee a positive off when the valve is closed.The tapered seat of the prototype valve was replaced with a simple roundport. This port has a small shoulder that surrounds the port to magnifythe forces at the edge of the hole, further ensuring a tight seal whenthe valve is closed. It is through the combination of the “needle”shaped cone and the matching port size, that the variable flow of waterthrough the opening is accomplished. The geometry of the mating seatshave been carefully engineered to offer a linear range from extremelylow flows, up to full port open. Preferably, the main port seal isfield-replaceable without exposing the internals of the assembly to theharsh environment of the facility.

The retrofit capability also lends itself to a simple mechanical bypassin case of a regulator failure. The assembly can be removed from theregulator and replaced with the original (assuming this is a retrofit ofa conventional, manual regulator) mechanical flush knob, which allowsthe regulator to operate in manual mode, if necessary. Also, theregulator preferably maintains its manual adjustment knob, which allows,if desired, a minimum water column height to be set and used as amechanical fail-safe so that even in the event of a failure, a minimumwater pressure and minimum water flow can always be maintained withoutfear that a power outage or regulator failure might result in causingthe flock to die from dehydration.

Electrically the design concept was also challenging. With a lowmechanical advantage, the electrical component used to actuate the valveneeded to be powerful enough to overcome all of these forces and stillbe responsive to changes in pressure. The first prototype was a highspeed DC gear motor with positional feedback on the output controlled inPID closed loop, acting as a servo. The inherent problem with thisdesign was finding enough processor resources to PID control theposition of the output and still provide the resources for monitoringwater pressure feedback and operating the PID for the control of thepressure. Alternatives were evaluated that would utilize dedicatedhardware to control the motor position to off-load the resources fromthe processor, but the extra hardware costs seemed unfeasible. Whatfinally resulted was a simple, pre-packaged linear stepper. A steppermotor offers independent control of torque and speed, all in an openloop control routine. This frees up the processor, which is installed ona valve circuit board 920, to use its resources to close loop controlthe pressure, while using an open loop linear actuator to make thenecessary adjustments. To ensure that the stepper has as much torque andspeed as possible, it is driven in a Sine-Cosine microstep mode witheach physical step further reduced electrically into 16 microsteps. Thischange gives an increase in stepping performance as well as an increasein positional resolution. To control the microstepping functions, theprocessor incorporates PWM controls in hardware mode. The 16 positionSine-Cosine microstep algorithm, along with the ability to specify thepower level at the motor (from 1% to 100%) required considerable thoughtin the design of the control. With the PWM features integrated into theprocessor, the overhead for that portion of the control algorithm islow. However, it is preferable that the processor closely monitor thepressure feedback and make appropriate changes to the position of thevalve to adjust the pressure.

With all the tasks that the processor manages, controlling the positionof the valve in response to the pressure feedback is the most timingcritical. Not only in the sense that it has to be done frequently, butalso in the sense that it has to be done rhythmically. It is notacceptable to perform several closely-timed evaluations followed byquick adjustments, and then ignore the task for an extended period oftime before coming back to the task and executing it again. This taskwould require a time-controlled event, which was accomplished through abackground task manager spawned by a timed interrupt. In this way, theposition of the actuator could be managed asynchronously with theexecution of the other tasks in the program, but in a consistently timedfashion. Furthermore, this ensured that the control of these tasksreceived priority over all others. The other difficult part in thedesign was how to make adjustments to the output of the motor based on adesired output power level. Since the microstep design is based on aSine-Cosine driver, a Sine table was embedded in the processor. TheCosine output was accomplished by shifting the position in the Sinetable by a quarter phase to offset the lookup. Depending upon whichdirection of movement is needed, one H Bridge driver will typically beahead of the other H Bridge driver by a quarter phase. Shiftingdirections means the lookup table is referenced moving in the oppositedirection. The Sine table is no more than a percentage lookup table. Forevery lookup position in the table, a second power output table wouldhave the appropriate PWM control register value to accomplish the outputdesired. At step zero, the Sine output is 0%, so the power lookup tablecontains a register value in position zero to represent no voltageoutput to the PWM controller. At step 16, the Sine output is 100%, sothe power lookup table contains a register value in lookup position 16that represents full output voltage to the PWM controller. If the motorpower level was something other than 100%, then this power lookup tableis recalculated based on the new motor power level. To avoid the risk ofa background task, which might occur during the recalculation of thepower lookup table, the actual process of recalculating the table wasmoved to the background task controller as well. Only a change in powerwould call the routine to update the table, otherwise the stepper motorwould use the power lookup table as it was previously calculated. Doingthis ensures that the table is fully updated before a new microstep istaken, otherwise one H Bridge may operate at the original power levelwhile the other H Bridge operates at the new power level. Even thoughthis would conceivably only occur for as long as it took the processorto finish the timed interrupt event and then complete the calculationsof the table, it was still enough of a concern to make that process partof the background task handler.

The final touch to the control algorithm is an idle mode timer thatshuts off the motor driver components if no request for position changeis made after a predetermined period of time. This not only helps tocontrol heat build-up in the motor windings and on the control board,but it reduces the overall energy consumption of the system as the motoris easily the single largest electrical load in the system. In apreferred embodiment, if the motor position is stagnant for 100 mS, thenall power is removed from the motor windings. Being a rotational steppermotor with an integrated threaded rod to generate the linear motion,external forces cannot alter the position of the motor. In addition, thecontrol board maintains the current position in memory as well as theoutput power level of each H Bridge driver and immediately uponnotification of a step change, the power is restored to the motorwindings. This “sleep” mode coupled with a variable torque controltechnique helps ensure that the lowest level of energy consumptionpossible while still providing adequate control of the stepper motor.

The linear stepper motor and control board, along with the “needle”valve assembly, combine to form the variable position control valve.This variable position control valve is retrofitted to the mechanicalregulator in the regulator's flush valve assembly port 732, as shown inFIG. 7. The flush valve assembly port is a large threaded port with asubstantial shouldered water inlet at the back of the port to providethe incoming water for the mechanical regulator when it is in itsuncontrolled “flush” mode. The size of the water inlet was originallydesigned and intended to allow for a high volume of water flow tosupport a drinker line flush. Its design has been fully utilized by thecontrol valve concept to accomplish the electronic regulation of waterflow. The substantial size of the water inlet provides an ideal inletfor the control valve with its “needle” valve shape. The threaded flushport provides an ideal means of attachment of the variable positioncontrol valve assembly by allowing the flush knob to be unthreaded, andthe control valve threaded back into its place. This design featureoffers the ability to both regulate flow to control pressure in thewatering valve drinker line, as well as offer unregulated flow to permita drinker line flush. The entire retrofit of the variable control valveassembly can typically be accomplished without tools.

Other components of the variable control valve 730 are shown in theexploded view 902 of FIG. 9. Such components include for example, valvehousing assembly 930 and valve cover 940. The stepper motor 950 is inelectronic communication with the circuit board 920 and is mounted inclose proximity thereto. The electrical input 922 and output 924, shownin schematic 800 from FIG. 8, are connected to the circuit board 920.Feedback input 926 corresponds with the feedback input 740 shown in FIG.7. The electrical input 922, output 924, and feedback input 926 mount onthe circuit board and extend through apertures 942, 944, and 946,respectfully, of the valve cover 940. Other screws, nuts, o-rings, andgaskets used to assemble the variable control valve are also illustratedin FIG. 9.

Diaphragm Pressure Control Mechanism

Another method that was explored and that proved to be successful wasthe diaphragm pressure control mechanism. This assembly requires theremoval of the lower portion of a conventional pressure regulator forretrofit installation. An electric motor driven screw is used to changethe output water pressure by compressing or decompressing a spring inthe lower half of the regulator assembly; thus, adjusting pressure onthe diaphragm. The assembly tracks the position of the motor using amagnetic flag and a Hall effect sensor. FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrateassembled and exploded views of components of the diaphragm pressurecontrol assembly 1000 and 1100.

Pressure Feedback System

The pressure feedback device was difficult mainly due to the desiredrequirement that it be consistent from device to device, andmaintenance-free (or as low maintenance as possible) for the end-user.Preferably, the design should not require calibration or zero offsetcompensation, and it should not vary based on temperature, device age,or any of the other considerable factors common to analog pressuredevices. Furthermore, the pressure range to be monitored, 0 to 24 inchesof water column, and the pressure range that the sensor would have tosustain without being damaged during flush, 8 feet of water column ormore, made it nearly impossible to find an analog pressure sensor thatcould meet these requirements and provide the stability and lowmaintenance required. Many sensors are available for measuring pressure,but none that meet most of these desired requirements—and still beaffordable. This meant an alternative to an analog pressure sensor hadto be found.

The first alternative was a water column gauge. In this category,ultrasonic ranging, microwave, optical displacement, and ultrasonicprobes were evaluated, but their cost and bulk made most of themimpractical. The first prototype was based on an ultrasonic rangingsensor designed for automotive applications and specifically calibratedto measure water column in a tube. It provided an acceptable measure oferror, but was affected by age and environmental temperature.Furthermore, it was slow to respond to rapid changes in level, whichmade it even less attractive as a measurement device. It was finallydecided that it was necessary to build a custom sensor.

The concept was formed by the idea that an array of detectors, arrangedin a linear fashion, could be used to locate the water edge, and reportthe pressure in inches of water column. Two types of sensors seemedlikely, an optical and a magnetic field sensor. The optical solution wasquickly eliminated due to the probability that the water in the “sighttube” of the regulator could stagnate and darken, affecting the abilityof the optics to detect the level. For this reason, the magnetic pickupsolution was chosen. Through use of a special float containing a magnetpossessing a specific magnetic field, an array of “Hall effect” sensorscan be arranged in a linear fashion outside of the water tube to makethe necessary measurements of the water pressure while still meeting allof the design criteria for low maintenance, no calibration and zerooffset adjustments, capable of sustaining large pressures without beingdamaged, and have the ability to measure 0-24 inches of water columnwith a high degree of accuracy with little drift over time andtemperature. The only problem with this design is the required number ofdigital I/O that the concept requires.

What was finally developed was a 26 inch circuit board having 64 Halleffect devices, evenly spaced along the length of the board. Interfacingto the microprocessor is accomplished through a modified serialcommunication protocol known as 4 Wire SPI. This permits monitoring ofthe feedback device in lengths in excess of the 24 inches, with a scanrate of over 60 readings per second. Using special algorithms, thesystem can achieve a resolution of 3/16 inch, which is well within theoriginal +/−¼ inch requirement. This sensor array is aligned along thelength of the ¾ inch PVC rigid water column tube in a specially designedover-molded housing that protects the circuit from the harsh environmentand isolates it from the water source. The sensor array also has two7-segment displays directly mounted on the circuit board, which arevisible from through the over-molded housing. These displays are used todisplay real time water column level readings as well as doubling todisplay error codes in the case of a failure. The Hall effect sensorarray is designed to sense a flat disc magnet housed in a square floatsuspended and aligned in the water column tube. Using low current Halleffect devices and driving the display at reduced currents help ensurethat the energy consumption is kept low during the operation of theregulator. The magnetic float can be manufactured from high visibilitymaterial to serve as a visual indicator of water column.

The tube is preferably attached to a 90-degree elbow connector that isinserted into a custom designed T-fitting and held in place by a nutthat is installed on the elbow connector via a retaining ring. The elbowconnector has detents that match geometry on the T-fitting, which allowsfor the water column tube to be rotated when the nut is loosened butlocked in place when the nut is tightened. The detents allow for theclear (i.e., see through) water column tube to lock vertical in theoperating position, at 45-degrees off of vertical, and at horizontal inthe “storage” position. The T-fitting also has an outlet port that ismatched to the outlet port on the mechanical regulator, which allows fortube assembly to be used without leaving an outlet port permanently tiedup on the mechanical regulator. The assembly is installed on themechanical regulator by inserting the male end of the T-fitting intoeither of the two available pressure ports and using a supplied nut andbolt to attach it to the track on the top of the mechanical regulator.All of these attachments can be retrofitted onto the mechanicalregulator with only two wrenches to tighten the mounting bolt. All otherpieces can typically be assembled by hand. The sight tube is preferablydesigned to seal during flushing and is easily removable for cleaningand maintenance access. FIG. 12 illustrates assembled 1200 and exploded1202 views of components of the water column tube assembly 750, aspreviously shown in FIG. 7. More specifically, the water tube assembly750 includes a transparent sight tube 1210, that has a cap base 1218 anda cap 1220. The sight tube 1210 mounts onto a 90-degree fitting 1214.The 90-degree fitting 1214 is connected to a T-fitting 1212, whichmounts onto the housing 774 of the water pressure regulator assembly710, as shown in FIG. 7. An O-ring 1232 fits therebetween. The 90-degreefitting 1214 is connected to the T-fitting 1212 using a holder nut 1226,which includes a split ring 1224 inserted therein. A circuit board 1216is attached to the sight tube 1210 using connectors or clips 1222. Thewater pressure within the interior chamber of the housing 774 ismeasured using a floated ball 1230 that float on the water column withinthe sight tube 1210.

Communication Protocol

The communications protocol was one of the last implemented features ofthe overall system design. Initially, it was thought that all deviceswould be individually controlled with simple rotary potentiometers thatwired directly to each regulator along with the power supply for thedevice. This very simple approach was direct and easily implemented intothe regulator. However, it became obvious that installations of anyorder of magnitude could require an unreasonably large number ofcontrols. Installations with 50 or more regulators are not uncommon.Using the original concept of one control knob per regulator wouldrequire 50 control knobs and 50 wiring pulls, one each from the controlenclosure to each of the 50 regulators. Furthermore, having simultaneousmanual user interfaces and house automation controller interfaces, whichcommand the same device, would require complicated circuitry or multiplesignal pulls to each device. Analog signals could still be used toaccomplish the task, but additional circuitry would be needed. Anotherconsideration was that most installations operate multiple regulators ata common pressure level, meaning a single control knob for multipledevices could be a common request. Again, this can be accomplished withanalog signals, but concerns with lead length, voltage drops, electricalnoise, and output driver capability presented design challenges. Withall of these issues in mind, the need for an alternate solution toanalog control was added to the invention design objectives. Thealternative ultimately chosen was a high level digital network withmultiple master, multiple slave capability. The multiple master allowsfor one or more manual user interfaces to operate alongside of one ormore house automation controller interfaces, while multiple slaves allowfor one or more devices to be controlled.

Several high level digital network choices were available and alreadyintegrated into the microprocessor, including RS232, Ethernet, USB, I2C,and CAN bus, along with others that may be available through use ofexternally-attached hardware. However, the choice for a multiple master,multiple slave protocol, which best suited the needs of the systemturned out to be the CAN bus architecture. There were already a numberof industrial automation protocols based on the CAN bus architecture.These networks have generated standardizations that many third partyproducts are designed around, such as wiring, power supplies, networkterminators, troubleshooting tools and network analyzers, engineeredwiring, and a multitude of other devices, which help to makeinstallation and maintenance of a CAN bus based network simpler andeasier to implement than a similarly capable analog controlarchitecture. Furthermore, the CAN bus architecture provided support fornearly 100 devices on a single network, with a maximum network length inexcess of 500 meters. Components can be distributed anywhere along thislength using simple in/out daisy chain wiring schemes, as shown in FIG.8. Voltage drops due to long network runs and/or heavy power consumptiondevices can be managed using distributed power injectors, or powersupplies, isolating the power portion of the cabling while maintaining acommon communications bus through the entire length of the network. Thischoice of network solutions also provide the end-user with analready-available market of pre-manufactured cabling, power supplies andother components to make the installation of the control system as easyand as simple as possible. Components are available from multiplemanufacturers and can be purchased worldwide from multiple distributors.

The digital network not only provides the ability for multiple pointcontrol to multiple devices, but it also allows for multiple channels ofcontrol so that several features available within the regulator can beinitiated across the same wiring infrastructure. Virtual grouping ofdevices and multiple point controls are also possible, whether that be acontrol knob per device or multiple devices per control knob.

Furthermore, devices are now able to communicate back to the controllerswith various feedback, such as actual pressure levels, along withseveral other embedded features. Plus, future add-ons can make even morefeatures available to report back to the control interface. All of thesefeatures, with the ability to expand them even further or to moxfamilies of intelligent devices, are all available across a singlecable, which implements the CAN bus protocol and power for the devices.Cabling having harsh environment connectors pre-made onto the cable andkeyed in such a way that wiring is simple and intuitive to install, evenfor someone who is not familiar with the system, was chosen. These arethe primary benefits of the digital network design implemented into theregulator.

Control Circuitry

The control board is based upon the NXP Arm Core Arm7 processor. Theboard provides access to essential onboard peripherals, including theCAN bus controller with physical layer implementation, a UART withphysical layer implementation, I2C Port with onboard pull-ups for use asa master controller for future optional devices, 4 Wire SPI with boththe standard and inverted Select line for interface to the feedbackboard, stepper motor interface including the high side drive power forcontrol of the metering valve, various status LEDs, and on-board voltageregulators to provide 1.8V, 3.3V, and 6V power from an onboard switchingsupply that can accept a broad input voltage range (from 8V to 24V) witha nominal efficiency of 93% or greater.

The circuit is a two-layer board construction having only a top andbottom layer with all surface mounted IC components attached to the topside. This design greatly reduces system complexity, simplifiesconstruction and testing, and reduces system costs. The JTAG interfacefacilitates factory programming and quality testing. With a broadvoltage input range, the board is designed to operate on commontraditional U.S. voltages such as 12 VDC, as well as common Europeanvoltages such as 24 VDC. The board can be operated in its entire voltagerange without any modifications or settings to the control board. Systemdesigns in this voltage range allow for the use of inherently safe,reduced energy, class 2 DC power supplies. This design offers benefitsto the end user in terms of safety from accidental shock or fire, and,in some cases, the ability to install the system without special,professional or technical licenses.

The on-board stepper motor interface is designed for efficientinstallation and operation. An enable line for control of the integrated“stand-by” mode is provided for low power idle operation. The dual“H-Bridge” driver configuration—with its enable, direction, and pulsedoutput control modes—permits full microstepping control of a singlebi-polar stepper motor. The control board is designed to attach directlyto the header pin of the linear stepper to reduce wiring requirements,aid in the simplicity of mounting of the board, and provide maximumpower through elimination of wire leads to the motor. Furthermore, thedesign of the board integrated with the motor allows the unit to beconfigured and installed as a single module, which enhances the modularbuild retrofit concept of the overall system.

All software is preferably programmed in the C programming language tooffer programming familiarity to aide in current and future designenhancements. Development is maintained by a careful system of hardwareand software versioning, with each board having “awareness” of theversion of software as well as hardware. Product upgrade paths aremaintained through use of the integrated JTAG interface, as well asclever use of the integrated communications ports that are providedspecifically for future enhancements and device add-ons. Serializedidentification numbers ensure distinct IDs on all networks, as well astraceability and version tracking of the device and the product withwhich it is installed. The control board takes commands and reportsstatus across the primary CAN bus channel. All necessary controlalgorithms are preferably implemented into the control board, notrequiring any externally attached controller for any purpose other thanto issue new commands to the control board.

Feedback Circuitry

The feedback board is designed as a pluggable accessory to the controlboard, completely encapsulated in a protective potting material designedspecifically for protection of sensitive electrical components fromharsh, damp environments. The feedback board is designed to operate from0 to 630 mm of water column for measurement of water pressure throughuse of Hall effect devices, spaced at predetermined locations(preferably, evenly spaced at specified intervals) along the length ofthe board.

The circuit is preferably a two-layer board construction having only atop and bottom layer with all surface mounted IC components attached tothe top side. This design greatly reduces system complexity, simplifiesconstruction and testing, and reduces system costs. Special attention isgiven to placement of the Hall effect sensors to minimize anyinterference that might negatively affect their sensitivity to magneticfields. The Hall effect sensors are preferably arranged along the edgeof the feedback board, isolated from the surrounding copper surface andaligned with specifically-positioned through-holes that provide anuninhibited view of the magnetic field from either side of the board.The sensor measurement algorithm is written to provide a 2× resolutionmultiplier, achieving greater than the minimum requirement of +/−¼ inch.Two integrated 7 segment displays are mounted at the tip of the feedbackboard to provided system status indication and to aid in fieldinstallation, address re-programmability, and provide an alarm/faultindication to the user.

Interface to the control board is preferably accomplished through aslightly modified version of a serial full duplex communicationsprotocol known as 4 Wire SPI. This protocol is supported natively by themicroprocessor, so interfacing to the custom built feedback board isaccomplished in hardware control of the processor. This considerablyreduces the processing power required to communicate with the feedbackboard. Communications to the Hall effect sensor array is accomplishedthrough use of simple and inexpensive parallel load, serial shiftregister chips. To adapt these chips to the 4 wire SPI protocol, the SPIcontrol lines from the processor are modified on-board the feedbackboard to generate the proper timing sequence. The original prototypeaccomplished this using a simple hex inverter chip, but subsequentdesigns have been based on a simple BJT—operating as a high speedswitch. This significantly reduces the cost and board space requirementfor the inversion on the control board. Using the processor's built-in 4Wire SPI interface, the regulator is able to receive as many as 128different discrete signals back from the feedback circuit. The customwritten algorithms achieve a maximum resolution of 5 mm, which is wellwithin the +/−¼ inch requirement. The design has been tested running atspeeds of up to 63 measurements per second. Speeds even greater may bepossible, but are not necessary for this implementation or use.

For purposes of illustration, application programs and other executableprogram components such as the operating system may be illustratedherein as discrete blocks, although it is recognized that such programsand components reside at various times in different storage componentsof the computing device, and are executed by the data processor(s) ofthe computer. An implementation of media manipulation software can bestored on or transmitted across some form of computer readable media.Any of the disclosed methods can be executed by computer readableinstructions embodied on computer readable media. Computer readablemedia can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. Byway of example and not meant to be limiting, computer readable media cancomprise “computer storage media” and “communications media.” “Computerstorage media” comprises volatile and non-volatile, removable andnon-removable media implemented in any methods or technology for storageof information such as computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules, or other data. Exemplary computer storage mediacomprises, but is not limited to RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory ormemory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or otheroptical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which canbe used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by acomputer.

The methods and systems can employ Artificial Intelligence techniquessuch as machine learning and iterative learning. Examples of suchtechniques include, but are not limited to, expert systems, case basedreasoning, Bayesian networks, behavior based AI, neural networks, fuzzysystems, evolutionary computation (e.g. genetic algorithms), swarmintelligence (e.g. ant algorithms), and hybrid intelligent system (e.g.expert interference rules generated through a neural network orproduction rules from statistical learning).

In the case of program code execution on programmable computers, thecomputing device generally includes a processor, a storage mediumreadable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memoryand/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least oneoutput device. One or more programs may implement or utilize theprocesses described in connection with the presently disclosed subjectmatter, e.g., through the use of an API, reusable controls, or the like.Such programs may be implemented in a high level procedural orobject-oriented programming language to communicate with a computersystem. However, the program(s) can be implemented in assembly ormachine language. In any case, the language may be a compiled orinterpreted language and it may be combined with hardwareimplementations.

Although exemplary implementations may refer to utilizing aspects of thepresently disclosed subject matter in the context of one or morestand-alone computer systems, the subject matter is not so limited, butrather may be implemented in connection with any computing environment,such as a network or distributed computing environment. Still further,aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter may be implemented inor across a plurality of processing chips or devices, and storage maysimilarly be affected across a plurality of devices. Such devices mightinclude PCs, network servers, mobile phones, softphones, and handhelddevices, for example.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understoodthat the subject matter defined in the appended claims is notnecessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above.Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed asexample forms of implementing the claims.

We claim:
 1. A water pressure regulator for use with a poultry wateringsystem used to provide potable water to a flock of poultry over theirgrowth cycle, the water pressure regulator comprising: a main housingthat defines an interior chamber; an input disposed on the main housingand connected to a water supply line, the water supply line providingpotable water to the main housing at a first pressure level, the inputincluding a metering valve disposed within the interior chamber; anoutput disposed on the main housing and connected to a dispensing line,the dispensing line having a plurality of watering valves configured tosupply the potable water to the flock of poultry at a second pressurelevel, the second pressure level being lower than the first pressurelevel and optimized to provide a predetermined amount of potable waterto the flock through the plurality of watering valves; a variablecontrol valve mounted onto the housing and extending into the interiorchamber of the housing, the variable control valve positioned to controlthe flow of potable water out of the interior chamber of the mainhousing and through the output, the variable control valve having aneedle-shaped cone adapted to engage a round port of the metering valveand configured to move linearly and incrementally between a fully-closedposition and a fully-open position within the metering valve, thevariable control valve having a linear stepper motor that controls thelinear and incremental movement of the needle-shaped cone to vary thesecond pressure level of the potable water, the linear stepper motor isin electronic communication with and controlled by a controller board,the controller board being programmed with a desired pressure level forthe second pressure; and a pressure feedback component also mounted ontothe housing detects the actual water pressure level in the dispensingline, wherein a feedback signal corresponding to the actual waterpressure level is communicated electronically back to the controllerboard of the variable control valve; wherein a comparator component ofthe controller board compares the actual water pressure level in thedispensing line with the desired pressure level for the second pressureand, based on such comparison, actuates the linear stepper motor tolinearly and incrementally move the needle-shaped cone in the directionnecessary to cause the actual water pressure to move toward the desiredpressure level for the second pressure.